Remembering Aymara

30 March 2020

In late March, HawkWatch International bid a very sad farewell to Aymara, one of our full-time raptor ambassadors.

Aymara was a spunky Swainson's Hawk who came to live with HWI after sustaining an injury that left her unable to fly. Over the years, she traveled across Utah and the western U.S. to teach thousands of people about raptors. She was named after the Aymara people of the Andes because Swainson's are famously known for having one of the longest raptor migrations each year, traveling approximately 14,000 miles from as far north as Alaska and as far south as Argentina.

When saying goodbye, nearly every staff member and volunteer thanked Aymara for how much she taught them. Aymara was as much a teacher as anyone who handled her. She sparked curiosity and compassion in countless hearts, and she will be sorely missed.